Journal of value creating in Business Management

Abstract Abstract The aim of this research is to analyze the model of factors affecting customer experience in the implementation of generation 4.0 retail. This research is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The statistical population includes customers of the Etaka chain store, and the sample size was determined as 384 people using the Cochran formula, and the simple random sampling method was used. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, whose validity was confirmed by experts and its reliability was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability. In order to test the hypotheses and fit the conceptual model, structural equation modeling was used with AMOS software. The fit indices including CFI, GFI, IFI, and RMSEA were within acceptable limits, indicating a proper fit of the model. The research findings showed that technological progress and value creation have a significant impact on customer experience. Human and organizational factors also play an effective role in implementing Retail 4.0. Customer experience, as a key variable, plays a prominent role in improving store performance and strengthening customer relationships. The results indicate that intelligent use of new technologies, empowering human resources, and creating appropriate organizational infrastructure are essential prerequisites for achieving positive customer experience and sustainability in modern retail environments. Introduction Along with the industrial revolution, the retail industry has also evolved significantly. First, in relation to Retail 1.0, large stores began to emerge along with mass production using steam power. Accordingly, consumers enjoyed low-cost products in Retail 2.0, and as a result, more shopping malls were opened. Meanwhile, in Retail 3.0, consumers enjoy online shopping globally through the Internet, and therefore, shopping behavior has changed; because now we can buy anything without leaving home. And this evidence shows that Retail 4.0 can make our lives easier and better (Ren et al., 2024). In general, Retail 4.0 technologies include artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data analytics and augmented reality (Vhatkar et al., 2024). Artificial intelligence can replace employees in some routine jobs, while home and office applications can be managed through mobile applications thanks to the Internet of Things. The recorded data is then stored and analyzed in the cloud using self-service kiosks (Bonfer et al., 2022). When the 4.0 generation was first introduced in the industry in 2010, it also brought the retail industry into the fourth revolution. On the other hand, Retail 4.0 seems to be a new concept for retailers around the world; when Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, cloud computing, big data analytics, and augmented reality were implemented in the retail industry (Har et al., 2022). The level of adoption of Retail 4.0 is high in developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. However, in less developed countries, with low internet access coverage, the adoption of these technologies seems challenging for them. Consumers and businesses are unable to take advantage of the emerging e-commerce opportunities due to persistent bottlenecks and barriers such as costly broadband services, over-reliance on cash, shortage of skilled workers among the people, and government indifference. Therefore, the researcher intends to answer the fundamental question: how is the analysis of the model of factors affecting customer experience in the implementation of Retail 4.0? Theoretical foundations Technological advancement and customer experience Technological advancement is recognized as one of the most important drivers of transformation in the retail industry. New technologies, including online shopping systems, mobile applications, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data analytics, enable fast, accurate, and personalized services for customers (Mirzaee Azandariani et al., 2022). In particular, customer familiarity with technology and its ease of use improve the customer experience in interacting with the organization and increase satisfaction and trust (Alexander et al., 2022). Organizational factors and customer experience Organizational factors include the organization's culture, processes, structure, and strategies that shape the organization's overall performance. In retail environments, organizations that have a customer-centric culture, design their processes to respond quickly and effectively to customer needs, and have a flexible and innovative structure, and can significantly improve the customer experience (ham et al., 2021). Effective organizational processes, such as customer relationship management systems and supply chain optimization, increase service quality and reduce customer waiting times. Intra-organizational technology infrastructures, such as integrated data mining systems, enable customer behavior analysis and forecasting of customer needs. Behera et al., (2024) studied “Changing Customer Engagement with Artificial Intelligence in E-Marketing: An E-Retail Perspective in the Era of Retail 4.0”. The research method is quantitative. Primary data was collected from 305 e-retail customers and analyzed using structural equations. The results showed that AI-based e-marketing can predict customer desires, provide personalized messages and offers, increase customer engagement with the brand, and enhance the digital shopping experience in Retail 4.0. Blut et al., (2024) studied “Retail Customers’ Ease of Use of Artificial Intelligence-Based Virtual Assistants: A Meta-Analysis”. The meta-analysis included 2766 correlations from 244 independent samples. Data analysis showed that price value, social support, and humanization are the main drivers, and the performance of assistants varies depending on their type (intelligent/stupid, voice/text-based, avatar/non-avatar), and negative emotions play a mediating role. Research Method This study is applicable in terms of purpose and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The population of the present study includes customers of the Eteka chain store, the sample size was determined as 384 people based on the Cochran formula, and the sampling method was simple random sampling. The findings from the Cronbach’s alpha test are reported. To examine the validity, content validity was used and its validity was confirmed. Then, the reliability of the questionnaire was measured by distributing the questionnaire. In order to test the research hypotheses, structural equation modeling was used in the Amos statistical software platform. Research findings The research findings showed that technological advancement, value creation, human and organizational factors each have a positive and significant impact on customer experience and the implementation of Generation 4.0 retail. It was also found that customer experience plays an important role in increasing interaction and effective communication between the store and the customer. Finally, general and market-specific factors also significantly affect the acceptance and success of the implementation of Generation 4.0 retail. Conclusion and Discussion The present study showed that the success of the implementation of Generation 4.0 retail is the result of the interaction and combination of several key factors. Technological advancement and the use of digital tools improve the shopping experience of customers, while providing real value increases their satisfaction and loyalty. Employee competence and skills, service quality and effective customer interaction play an important role in the success of digital stores, and appropriate organizational management and efficient internal processes facilitate the implementation of digital transformation. In addition, adaptation to market conditions, customer behavior and the socio-economic environment is a determining factor in the acceptance and success of Generation 4.0 retail. Overall, positive customer experience, value creation and market alignment form the focal point of any successful strategy in Generation 4.0 stores. The present study showed that technological advancement directly improves customer experience. Easy access to new technologies and ease of use of digital tools increase customer satisfaction and convenience in shopping. This finding is consistent with the studies of Akbari et al. (2022) and Rousta et al. (2023). Value creation is also a critical factor affecting customer experience. When customers receive real value from products and services, their satisfaction increases and their willingness to repurchase and loyalty is formed. The findings are consistent with the research of Mirzaee Azandariani & Arya (2022) and Akbari et al. (2022), which shows that creating a positive customer experience is not possible without providing tangible value. Therefore, stores should focus on enhancing the value provided to customers at all stages of the purchase process. Organizational factors have an important impact on the adoption and implementation of Generation 4.0 retail. Organizational culture, internal processes, and technology infrastructure are among the factors that facilitate the success of implementation. This finding is consistent with the studies of Aldrighetti et al. (2023) and Hoyer et al. (2020), which show that success in digital transformation is not achieved by focusing only on technology, but also by effectively managing human resources and organizational processes. Human factors also have a significant impact on the implementation of 4.0 retail. Employee empowerment and technology-related skills improve service quality and customer engagement. These results are consistent with the research of Behera et al. (2024) and Roustaee Gholpaygani et al. (2023), which shows that employee training and empowerment are crucial for the success of digital stores. Customer experience, as a key phenomenon, has a direct impact on the success of 4.0 retail implementation. A positive customer experience increases satisfaction, loyalty, and repurchase motivation; and encourages customers to interact more with the store. These findings are consistent with the results of Blut et al. (2024) and Behera et al. (2024), and show that customer experience is the focal point of any successful strategy in 4.0 stores. Market-related and general factors are also influential. Attention to customer behavior, changing tastes, social acceptance, laws and regulations, and economic conditions can ensure the success of stores. The findings are consistent with the research of Vhatkar et al. (2024) and Rousta et al. (2023) and show that the successful implementation of generation 4.0 stores requires compatibility with environmental conditions and market needs.

Abstract Abstract The aim of the present study is to investigate the influential and affective factors of the identified dimensions of the policy model for creating added value in after-sales services in the Iranian automotive industry. The research method is applicable-developmental in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the study includes 10 managers and experts of sales and after-sales service agencies, whose sampling was done using a purposive sampling method with the criterion of at least 10 years of experience in sales and after-sales service agencies. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview, and the interviews continued until the theoretical saturation stage. The DEMATEL technique was used to examine the influential and affective factors of the model. The results showed that the organizational dimension is the most important; the technical services dimension is in second place, and the physical dimension is in third place of importance. Also, the technical services dimension is the most influential; the organizational dimension is in second place of influence, and the physical dimension is in third place of influence. Introduction After-sales service is one of the necessities of today's organizations for survival, growth and profitability, and in fact, it is a response to the biggest problems of organizations. With increasing complexity and uncertainty and the speed of technological changes, the survival of organizations depends on successful after-sales service (Susilo & Ikhsan, 2020). Over the past decade, global trade has changed at an unprecedented pace and free markets are expanding around the world. Considering the above, in many organizations and industries, especially highly competitive industries such as the automotive industry, the success of product sales is closely related to the provision of after-sales service, so that today, leading companies in the automotive field seek their expected profit in the supply of parts and the provision of after-sales service (Mollahoseini & Alimirzaei, 2009). After-sales service creates a limited but continuous and reliable stream of revenue over a long period of time. When businesses provide after-sales service, they gain a deep understanding of customers' designs, processes and technologies; knowledge that competitors cannot easily obtain. This creates an incredible but sustainable competitive advantage for companies. Considering these issues, it is not surprising that companies find it difficult to compete in the after-sales service market (Nasir et al, 2024). On the other hand, in today's world, the added value in product production has decreased and the added value has moved from the product production processes to research and development and marketing in which, in addition to developing new products, the provision of services related to products has become of great importance (Moradi et al, 2019). Therefore, the main question of this research is: What are the influential and affected factors of the identified dimensions of the policy model for creating added value in after-sales services in the Iranian automotive industry? Theoretical framework Customer loyalty Loyal customers are people whose desire to purchase a product or service is accompanied by creating a psychological bond and having favorable attitudes towards them or the providing organization (Khan & Fatma, 2019). Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction refers to a summarized psychological state that results from the combination of emotional expectations before purchasing the product and the customer's subsequent feelings about the consumption experience, and is often considered an important determinant of the customer's purchase intention and loyalty to that product and service (Jin et al, 2019). Service quality The concept of service quality is the basis of market access quality and is considered one of the most important decisions made by marketers. These decisions include determining the quality of the services to be provided, and a high level of market quality goes beyond customer expectations (Singh et al, 2023). Value Added Value added tax is a type of consumption tax levied on the incremental cost of goods and services during the production or supply period (Ibadin & Oladipupo, 2015). Ezazi & Hoshyar (2024) investigated the effect of service quality on senior loyalty through memorable experience and satisfaction among senior customers of 5-star hotels in Mashhad. The findings show that the electronic customer relationship management variable had a positive and significant effect on product innovation development, and the product innovation development variable had a positive and significant effect on marketing performance. Also, customer knowledge showed a positive and significant effect on marketing performance and product innovation development, and electronic customer relationship management and customer knowledge had a positive and significant effect on marketing performance through product innovation development. Sun et al, (2022) investigated the optimization of after-sales service with spare parts consumption and repairman travel. The results showed that the dual concerns of service quality and spare parts consumption lead to an inverse effect on spare parts prices: the service provider reduces spare parts consumption even if the sale of spare parts becomes more profitable. In addition, they showed that the travel time of the repairer has different effects on the optimal service time with respect to the maximum residence time constraint. In particular, by increasing the travel time of the repairer, the service provider increases the repair time to maintain the repair quality at a high level if the residence time is not guaranteed. However, if the maximum residence time is guaranteed, the service provider reduces the repair time to fulfill its promise. Research Methodology The research method is applicable-developmental in terms of its purpose, and qualitative in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population of the study includes 10 managers and experts of sales and after-sales service agencies, whose sampling was done using a purposive sampling method with the criterion of at least 10 years of experience in sales and after-sales service agencies. The data collection tool is a semi-structured interview, and the interviews continued until the theoretical saturation stage. Research Findings The DEMATEL technique was used to examine the influential and affective factors of the model. The results showed that the organizational dimension is the most important; the technical services dimension is in second place, and the physical dimension is in third place of importance. Also, the technical services dimension is the most influential; the organizational dimension is in second place of influence, and the physical dimension is in third place of influence. Conclusion The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the influential and affected factors of the identified dimensions of the policy model to create added value in after-sales services in the Iranian automotive industry. The results of this study are consistent with the results of Ezazi & Hoshyar (2024), Sun et al, (2022), Behrozi (2022), Vigneshwaran (2021), Habib & Sarwar (2021), Balinado et al, (2021), Ghayumi & Kashtegar (2020), Adusei & Tweneboah (2019), Saidin et al, (2018), and Borchardt (2018). Balinado et al, (2021) showed that among the five dimensions of Servqual, reliability and empathy are significantly related to customer satisfaction in automotive after-sales services. Interestingly, it was found that tangibles, responsiveness and assurance have no significant relationship with satisfaction. The service provider must provide high quality services to meet customer expectations and increase customer satisfaction, which subsequently creates customer trust in the company. With these items, customer retention and loyalty can be achieved by the company, which can also increase the company's profit and competitive advantage. According to the results of the study, the following suggestions are made: -Determining the mechanism and new software tools and applications with priority on the agenda of the Automotive Industry Policy Council (as the policymaker of the country's automotive industry) so that supplier companies are required to correct the incorrect method of existing after-sales services within a specific time period, with proper planning, and improve the index using the aforementioned feedback. -Management of automobile companies should review defects observed in the first quarter of vehicle ownership (IQS) and place defects related to parts, assembly or production on the agenda of the quality control unit so that those defects can be resolved and minimized within a specific time frame.